


thirteen

by MissMairin



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 11:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7682386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMairin/pseuds/MissMairin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>it's kind of a rule. there are thirteen types of people each person meets when they play volleyball. they are all different, they play different roles, but they're all important to volleyball. therefore, they're all important to shouyou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	thirteen

**Author's Note:**

> yes i got the idea from the five people you meet in heaven lol also im trying out a different writing style here, so tell me what you think! feedback is important tbh. even if it's something you didn't like! i'm trying to see what writing style works the best for me
> 
> also, just so you know, the five characters listed (hinata, kageyama, yachi, tsukishima and yamaguchi) are just the ones featured Most literally everyone is in here just for not as long. spoiler alert: this entire fic is just basically a huge dump of my headcanons/what should happen.

 

 

 

  
_ i. the reason _

 

without a reason to play, nothing else exists. 

 

the first person shouyou meets in volleyball is his reason to play. with stars in his eyes, shouyou watches the man on the tv hit spike after spike, dash across the court in the blink of an eye. the little giant, the announcer calls him, despite being incredibly short, is someone to fear on that court. shouyou is absolutely fascinated.

 

he glances down at his own body — it’s just as short. at least now, there’s someone that has proved it’s possible to be just as good as everyone else. shouyou wants to show the world that he, too, can be a fearsome opponent  _ and _ short. he decides he wants to be a volleyball player — he wants to follow in the footsteps of the little giant. 

 

and so, shouyou’s reason is born.

 

  
_ ii. the friends _

  
  


between the three of them, none of them know all that much about volleyball. shouyou knows the basics — set, spike, receive. 

 

izumi doesn’t even know what it’s called when he uses both hands to toss the ball to shouyou. is that a set? a toss? he’s still not sure, honestly. kouji’s even worse off. he’s gotten too many bruises to count from trying to receive the ball for shouyou. he complains all the time, saying how he wants to go back to soccer. he never does, though.

 

it’s horrible, but both of them wouldn’t ever change their mind. shouyou is their friend. they both know well that he would do the same, if not more, for them. so they suck it up and play a game they have no knowledge about. 

 

when the last-second team loses a match they were expecting to lose, kouji doesn’t understand why he’s upset. izumi elbows him and hisses that,  _ of course they’re upset! shouyou had been looking forward to this forever, and we were slaughtered out there! he even ran into a table just to receive one ball. you remember what he said? _

 

_ what? _ kouji asks.

 

_ that it’s not over yet, _ izumi replies easily. 

 

kouji denies that he has goosebumps, or that he cried. 

 

he stops denying that he cried when shouyou bows, thanking them for helping out. it’s kind of hard to deny when he cries enough to fill up a pool. izumi cries, too, but with noticeably less snot. kouji feels a bit better when he realizes that at least, with his presence, shouyou was able to play a real match, against real players, even if they did lose.

 

after shouyou leaves, izumi and kouji vow that they will always support shouyou and his love for volleyball. with tears in their eyes, izumi and kouji leave with the thought that they were help shouyou play. if only for a bit. 

 

neither of them admit they’re looking forward to seeing how much shouyou improves. 

  
  


_ iii. the trainers  _

  
  


when shouyou meets the trainers, he is both horrified and excited. the horrifying part is being squished nearly to death in a hug from the captain of the old ladies volleyball team. sure, it’s a hug, and it’s nice, but shouyou is pretty sure he can’t breathe. that’s a problem. 

 

he’s excited, too, because finally, there’s someone that can teach him volleyball. with the help of both the old ladies team, and the middle school’s girls volleyball team, he quickly learns the basics. he also learns that he can jump, and he’s got fast reflexes. the ladies of both teams compliment him when he does well, and teach him when he does wrong. 

 

it’s a great system.

 

shouyou learns, and learns, and learns. even after a couple months, he can feel that he’s different. his skill level has improved. he’s not just flailing around anymore, even if his receive is a bit shaky. he plays with real setters, they toss him real balls to spike, and he trains relentlessly. 

 

by the time graduation rolls around, he’s ready to go to high school and become a real volleyball player. the captain of both teams give him the seal of approval. during their last practice, he’s sure he gets more hugs in an hour than he’s gotten in his entire life. he doesn’t complain, though, because he’s going to miss them too. everyone cries, but he doesn’t. because of them, he can look to the future. and he does. 

 

_ iv. the captains _

  
  


the first day of shouyou’s first volleyball practice of high school, he’d assumed there’s only one captain. that captain would be daichi. he gives off the vibe of being a strict, wise, third-year — and he is. so, obviously, he’s the captain. 

 

not too long after that, shouyou realizes it’s much different. suga’s official title is vice-captain, but that is definitely not the case. sure, daichi is terrifying when he’s mad, but it’s even worse when it’s suga. the disappointed mom looks suga gives him sometimes makes him want to crawl into a hole. 

 

shouyou tries his best to listen well to both his captains.

 

after that, he finds out that there’s a third captain. it’s not a real title, but the whole team knows it to be true. ennoshita: captain of the second-years. it’s obvious when tanaka and nishinoya are wrangled up by him the most. shouyou respects ennoshita  _ a lot. _ he respects all his captains, and follows their lead.

 

  
_ v. the mood makers _

  
  


when shouyou meets tanaka and nishinoya, he almost feels dizzy. they both have so much energy, and so much to give to the team. shouyou knows for a fact that their team wouldn’t get far without the moodmakers. if the team was serious and solid the whole time, he’s pretty sure they’d all fall apart. 

 

but besides being energetic, there’s something else about those two that make the mood of the team. nishinoya always has the best speeches, vowing to the team that he’s right behind them. the knowledge that nishinoya is guarding their backs … well, shouyou may or may not get goosebumps. the downcast mood immediately changes. 

 

the same when everyone’s gotten low, they’re overthinking everything. tanaka is there, his mental strength never giving up. even after every rejected spike, he keeps going.

 

that’s what the moodmakers do. they keep the mood light — not just fun, or energetic, but tanaka and nishinoya keep the team from spiraling. it’s an important job, and they’re there to keep the team together.

 

  
_ vi. the hardships _

  
  


when shouyou learns about each story the team has to tell, there are three that stick with him the most. asahi was pushed down, again and again, until he couldn’t take it anymore. narita and kinoshita quit because they couldn’t handle the pressure; all the work that came with the game. 

 

it nearly breaks his heart.

 

and yet, they all came back. they all love the game just too much to stay away, and that resonates somewhere deep inside of shouyou. he keeps the stories in mind every time he feels like quitting, feels like giving up, feels like he’ll never achieve anything. there will always be something that’s difficult, but what’s important is that he gets back up. shouyou always gets back up. he also always makes sure to help his teammates back up, too.

  
  


_ vii. the support system _

  
  


shouyou sometimes forgets exactly how many people work together to get the volleyball club at it’s best. the easiest remembered are the ones that play: they get all the glory. but many people go forgotten, they’re the support system. they help from behind the scenes. the volleyball club couldn’t function without them.

 

takeda has given so much to the team, and will probably continue to do so as long as he remains a teacher. he’s clueless to the game, but he’s the one who puts together practice games, knows the schedule, reserves busses. all things that the volleyball club need. 

 

the same goes for kiyoko. she’s a manager; she’s a part of the support system. when she presented the poster and told the team to do their best, half of them burst into tears. that’s how much kiyoko supports the team, and the team respects her. 

  
  


_ viii. the coaches _

  
  


the coaches are a role that is obvious. everyone knows that when someone plays a sport, there’s a coach. it’s logical. shouyou doesn’t have a coach until ukai finally agrees. shouyou’s heard so much about his grandfather, ukai senior, that he looks forward to having ukai as a coach.

 

he’s not disappointed.

 

after the lack of a coach for several weeks, the team finally came together under a single person — the coach. karasuno’s previous teams had done the same, under ukai senior. 

 

every once in awhile, shouyou gets the feeling that ukai is a colonel, and the team is all just a part of his battalion. the metaphor is fitting. he calls coach ukai colonel in his head. no one knows, and shouyou just appreciates coach ukai even more. . 

 

  
_ ix. the cheerleader _

  
  


shouyou’s not sure what he would have done without yachi. there’s so much he owes to her, mostly the ability to actually play. with her help, the club is able to pitch together enough money to play the teams they need to. with her help, he’s able to pass more tests than ever before. with her help, he doesn’t get too depressed. 

 

yachi may just be the most important person on the team. the funny part is, she’s not really even on the team. she’s a manager: she’s there to break up fights, to help whenever she can, to watch from the sidelines.

 

the best part is, it’s easy to see just how much she cares about her work. she loves volleyball, just as much as the players. 

 

the way she looks at him in awe when he does a particularly nice quick fills him with joy. if not for himself, for her, shouyou wants to prove to the world that someone his size can spike. like him, villager b can fight too, even if the whole world’s against her. when they have someone cheering each other on, they can do anything. 

 

a cheerleader is just what the volleyball club needs.

 

  
_ x. the worthy opponents _

  
  


volleyball wouldn’t be complete without worthy opponents. if there is no one to play against, there’s no competition. during shouyou’s volleyball career, he meets plenty of worthy opponents. they make the game interesting.

 

but also, there’s much to learn from opponents. the best example is nekomata. they’re opponents, but they play to get better. karasuno learns from them, and nekomata learns, too. training camps help, too. 

 

anything that can help shouyou get better at volleyball is good, honestly. the worthy opponents do just that. shouyou has much respect for all of them. 

 

  
_ xi. the underdog _

  
  


the underdog type. 

 

everyone loves a good underdog, and who better to love than yamaguchi? 

 

he’s come a long way, and shouyou is so proud of him for that. they actually have quite a close friendship. yamaguchi tends to understand shouyou better than most people. they understand each other’s worries, mostly about not being good enough. shouyou helps yamaguchi through those moments, and vice versa. yamaguchi is always there to cheer shouyou on. shouyou makes sure he’s the loudest one cheering when yamaguchi is serving. 

 

honestly, yamaguchi is one of shouyou’s top motivators. not because he tells shouyou to do a good job, but because of his own personality. yamaguchi’s strong. he’s got a strong will. he knew he was the only first year that wasn’t a starter. he knew better than anyone else how inadequate he was. not to mention the times he’s failed due to anxiety. 

 

there’s so much weighing yamaguchi down, but he always gets back up. he always tries to better himself, while cheering the rest of the team on just as much. yamaguchi is one of the hardest workers shouyou has ever seen.

 

yamaguchi’s will to play, even when he’s not the best player on the court, is what keeps shouyou motivated. shouyou knows he’s also not the best player on the court. but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong there. yamaguchi wants to be on the court, because he wants to play. shouyou definitely understands that.

 

so, when yamaguchi is named captain during their third year, shouyou’s the first to cry. yamaguchi is standing in shock, and shouyou bursts into tears. he furiously wipes at his face and tells the entire team,  _ i’m not crying! i’ve just got something in my eye! _

 

shouyou’s so, so proud.

 

yamaguchi’s not an underdog anymore. he’s earned his spot on the team, and everyone knows it. the whole team welcomes him with open arms. yamaguchi deserves the captain title. no one objects. 

  
  
  


_ xii. the rival _

  
  


shouyou didn’t know he wanted a rival until he had one. he just thought a rival was someone to be mad at, someone he hoped would lose. but that’s not really what a rival is. a rival makes the player want to become better, to have someone to go up against. they’re someone the player wants to surpass. a friendly competition, maybe. 

 

that is what tsukishima is.

 

tsukishima is shouyou’s rival.

 

from the start of their first year, shouyou hated tsukishima. the same in reverse. they were total opposites. tsukishima had everything shouyou wanted, and didn’t use it. literally, they were the moon and sun rivals. 

 

shouyou didn’t know they’d actually become real rivals. 

 

everyone always comments about how tsukishima’s letting shouyou have the spotlight. the famous,  _ he’s gonna overtake your skill level, you better be careful, _ was repeated over and over. it got to the point that tsukishima didn’t want to hear it anymore. he started playing for real, and started enjoying volleyball again. 

 

tsukishima improved. more than the team had ever seen before, even. it all started when he considered shouyou as a rival. someone to beat, to climb higher than. in turn, shouyou saw tsukishima as a rival.

 

neither of them would let the other win. when they were compared, they saw what they needed to work on, what skills they were both lacking. tsukishima would not let shouyou pass him.

 

in their second year, they collapse in the gym after over-working themselves. the competition was different from the type shouyou had with kageyama. they somehow have a heart-to-heart, right there on the gym floor. maybe it’s the exhaustion.  tsukishima mentions offhand how much they’ve both improved since their first year. shouyou nods and mumbles,  _ it’s because i keep trying to beat you. you’re amazing, and i want to be at that level. _

 

tsukishima sits up and stares at shouyou. he can’t help it, he chuckles. shouyou looks confused, he doesn’t know what’s so funny. tsukishima elbows shouyou in the ribs, probably too hard, and tells him,  _ all this time, i was trying not to let you pass me. _

 

incredible.

 

shouyou punches tsukishima and vows he’ll be better than him by their third year.

 

tsukishima smirks.

 

_ bring it on. _

  
  


_ xiii. the life-long partner _

  
  


shouyou hates kageyama.

 

okay, that’s a lie. 

 

shouyou admires kageyama so much that he hates it. kageyama’s a wonderful player to the point shouyou hates admitting it. shouyou hates the fact that kageyama is such a big part of his volleyball career. his life, even.

 

kageyama was the first one to ever recognize him as a player. he was the first to declare shouyou as an opponent. maybe not a worthy one, yet, but the thought is still there. kageyama was the first one to set for him, a toss meant specifically for him. 

 

kageyama was shouyou’s first setter.

 

his first partner.

 

sure, kageyama wasn’t his first friend, but somehow, their connection means more. they become partners, and they work together. even though they may have their separate periods, they always come back to each other. in the end, they go places together. they move to second year together. they graduate to third-years together. they win nationals together. eventually, they attend the same college so they can be together. their connection is too strong to be apart for long. of course, they fight the entire time, because that’s just the way they are.

 

sometimes, people wonder, _ are they gay? _

 

shouyou just laughs and tells them, _ no, not that i know of.  _

 

somewhere along the line, kageyama becomes tobio. somewhere along the line, they know everything about each other. somewhere along the line, they start acting like an old married couple. then, the questions return.

 

_ are you sure you’re not gay? _

 

tobio never answers.

 

years down the line, tobio eventually does answer. he’s done his research this time, though. at some party yachi is throwing, he stands next to shouyou and he announces that,  _ no, we’re not gay. we’re platonic life partners. it’s the same as being married, but there is no feelings between us. _

 

everyone looks confused until shouyou playfully elbows tobio and says,  _ we’re literally bffs. best friends forever, in a sense that we love each other, but not  _ like _ like. _

 

it’s funny, using the phrase ‘like like’ again, but it works. tobio rolls his eyes and wraps an arm around shouyou. everyone goes back to talking, and the party resumes. tobio leans down and asks shouyou, _ do you want to go play volleyball in the backyard? _

 

_ i thought you’d never ask, _ shouyou replies. 

 

they race out of the house, and complain about who  _ really _ won. it’s funny how things never change. when tobio lazily gives shouyou a toss, they easily slip back into routine. who knew shouyou’s first partner would end up being his platonic life partner? he doesn’t know, but he’s happy life has turned out this way.

 

shouyou is so glad he decided to play volleyball.

 

  
  


* * *

 

 

_ xiv. the dream _

  
  


technically, there’s actually a fourteenth person that shouyou meets in volleyball. the problem is, the person already has a place: he’s the reason. the little giant is the reason shouyou plays volleyball, but he is also the dream that keeps him going.

 

even if they’ve never truly met.

 

at the end of shouyou’s third year in high school, karasuno finally wins nationals. it feels great. he’s finally proven to the world that he can play volleyball, too — just like the little giant. 

 

for whatever reason, shouyou feels grateful to the man he’s never met. without seeing the little giant on tv, his life would not have turned out this way. he would never have gotten into volleyball, he would never have met all of these wonderful people he’s sharing this win with. 

 

sure, he’s never met the little giant either. but maybe it’s a good thing. there’s something about meeting someone that, year after year, has stood on a pedestal that ruins the image. maybe it’s best that the little giant stays a dream, instead. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> platonic soulmates kagehina is my LIFELINE  
> i live and breathe captain!yamaguchi also i cried writing his segment bc i have So Many feelings about him my fav character deserves the world :(((


End file.
